


Incarnadined Hound

by Java_bean



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Azula is ALWAYS ready to burn things down, Based on a Tumblr Post, Complicated Sibling Relationship, Crack, Gen, I'm still super bad at tagging so here comes some nonsense, Light Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Sibling Relationship, Zuko is her only sense of remorse, also I stole those last few tags from my friend thank you so much ily, crack treated seriously?, is zuko's ability to find things a blessing from the spirits?, once again for flavor, that's it that's the fic, who knows I certainly don't, who knows but it's certainly implied, zuko is good at finding stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28187733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Java_bean/pseuds/Java_bean
Summary: All around her, the murmuring crowd hushed as if in mourning. Soon, all of the Fire Nation would hear the terms for the banishment, and they would react just the same. Azula smirked. She knew something they all didn’t know.Find the avatar, Father had said. For anyone else, that was a death sentence.For Zuzu, though? Well, that was doable.Zuko could findanything(A fic about Zuko and his insane ability to find things that he really shouldn't be able to find)
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 106
Kudos: 430





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hangedArtisan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hangedArtisan/gifts).



> Hi!!! This fic is for my friend Azul whom I love and respect more than anything in the world and who is co-responsible for this fic (and like, all my atla fics tbh) existing. Thank you for letting me bounce ideas and stuff off you so often and for talking to me and also being the funniest human being alive and also specifically for the baller title for this one <3 <3 <3 
> 
> So this fic is loosely based on that post on tumblr about Zuko being able to just. Inherently locate stuff without too much trouble. You know the one. (also if you know where it is can you send it my way? I can't find the post). 
> 
>   
> *Update _SOMEONE FOUND THE POST_ [here it is](https://everystarstorm.tumblr.com/post/616058275836887040/awesome-cookies-and-cream-son-of-drogo) All my thanks and love to [StarStorm21](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarStorm21/pseuds/StarStorm21) for finding it and sending it to me!! They are a true hero to me now. 
> 
> Also I didn't use any archive warnings for violence or anything but just so you know the agni kai is mentioned at the end of the chapter and even though it's not super detailed or graphic I figured better safe than sorry, especially since I'm hoping that's an outlier in this fic.
> 
> Anyway that's all I had to say, thanks for reading! I hope you like the fic <3

Azula was better than her brother. This was just common knowledge. She knew it. Their father, the Fire Lord, knew it. Even Zuzu, dum-dum he may be, knew it. The only person who seemed unaware of it was their mother. 

Not that it mattered what she thought, because she left as soon as Father got what he wanted and became Fire Lord. 

Anyway, compared to her, Zuko may as well be nothing. Sure, he was crown prince and therefore next in line for the throne, but that was a problem that could be easily fixed. If the crown was delivered based on merit instead of age, then they both knew which of them would rise victorious from _that_ particular battle. 

As superior as she was to him, though, she would admit he had some strengths. He was a lousy liar, sure, but he was an okay actor when he tried. As soon as he made the connection that acting could be used to _actually lie,_ maybe he would be decent at it. He wasn’t a terrible swordsman, either, but he only picked up the blade to make up for his lackluster firebending. Zuko only had _one skill_ that Azula would ever admit he was the best at. 

Zuko could find _anything._

They’d discovered that fact while playing hide-and-seek when they were kids. Back in the day when they used to willingly play together, before she had to pretty much force Zuko to spend time with her. Not that she would ever admit that was something she wanted. It wasn’t. 

At first, she thought Zuko had to be cheating. No matter how well she hid when they played, he always found her in the span of five minutes. She was well aware that the only reason it even took him that long to find her was because it took that long to actually _get_ to the places she hid. 

Once when they were playing, she got annoyed at always being found so easily, like it took no effort whatsoever! Even though she always was able to find Zuko, too, it took her a lot more time and energy than it ever seemed to take him. The worst part of it was, he wouldn’t tell her how he did it. 

So, when it was his turn to find her, she blindfolded him and locked him in a closet. Then she went to go hide in one of the hardest places she could think of. She’d been scouting the palace for places she didn’t think he would ever think of looking for her in. 

Somehow, even hidden in a shadowy corner in the highest rafters in the throne room, he found her like it was nothing. He stormed into the room, his stomping boots echoing loudly in the silence of the huge room. He looked really small from where she crouched in the ceiling.

Zuko threw the blindfold onto the ground and stomped on it. When he was done taking his anger out on the fabric, he glared up at where she was tucked, invisibly, in the shade. The place she was hiding where he couldn’t _possibly_ see her. 

Somehow, though, their eyes met. 

“I’m not playing with you anymore, Azula!” 

With that dramatic declaration, he turned around and stomped back out of the room. Azula knew that Zuzu wasn’t a liar, but sometimes when he was mad his dramatics flared up. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that this was one of those times, and he’d be over the incident by next week at the latest. 

It was the first time in her life that Azula read someone wrong. 

They never played hide-and-seek again. 

Even though they didn’t play the same anymore, Azula still had the chance to observe her brother’s weird talent. On Ember Island in the summer, she, Zuzu, and occasionally Lu Ten when he felt like it, would play a game where they would bury things in the sand for the others to find. It was always just little things, like some coins or some shells or little trinkets from the beach house no one would miss. The winner was whoever found the most hidden stuff. 

Most times, Azula was not a gracious loser. She could admit that. She was competitive and hated the very thought of someone being better than her at something. In the case of a game where the object was to find stuff, though? She knew better than to even _entertain_ the chance of winning if Zuko was playing. In those instances she knew just to sit back, relax, and watch him work. 

The three of them sat together on the sand as Lu Ten counted out their stacks and announced, as he did every single time they played, that Zuko was the winner. The first few times they’d played this game, he’d seemed confused about how Zuko kept winning so easily. After awhile, though, he seemed to catch on to the fact that this was just how Zuko _was,_ and he stopped being surprised. The real question always ended up being who took second place. 

“Hey, Zuzu,” Azula drawled as she plucked one of the objects out of his pile. Whatever it was it was old and metal and shiny, she held it up to the sun and made the light glint in his eyes, “do you ever wonder if you were a blood gecko hound in a past life?” 

He tried to glare at her, but it looked stupid with the way he was squinting at the light shining in his eyes. “Shut up, Azula.” 

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he instantly launched himself at her to try to get at the thing in her hand. She pushed him off easily, and the two of them scrambled around in the sand for a good few minutes before Lu Ten finally broke up the fight. 

“That was fun.” He said, sandwiching himself between the two of them and holding them both as far away from each other as he could. “Rematch next year?” 

“Next year?” Zuko frowned.  
“He’s going to Ba Sing Se with Uncle Iroh, dum-dum.” Azula replied, rolling her eyes. “We knew that already.” 

“Oh. Yeah, I knew that.” Zuko nodded, but he was still frowning. “You’ll be back by next summer, though?” 

“I don’t see why not.” Lu Ten shrugged. “It’s just a city behind some big walls, how long could it take to break them?” 

It took six hundred days to break through the first wall. 

It took six hundred and _one_ days for Uncle Iroh to call off the siege. 

Lu Ten never came back for that rematch. 

Over the years, Azula continued her little games with Zuko. It was hard not to when he had this inexplicable gift for finding stuff. If he really honed the skill, she wondered if he’d be able to use it to help track down enemy camps or possible deserters. If he could ever gain the stomach to butcher anything besides a monologue from a theater scroll, maybe he would make a useful assassin or something. One of these days, she told herself every time she stuck a book into the bough of a fruit heavy tree or buried one of his knives beneath the palace’s catacombs, one of these days she would bring that thought up to him. One of these days she would admit to her stupid, dum-dum brother that he could be good for something. 

She never got the chance to, because _somehow_ her stupid, dum-dum brother said something he wasn’t supposed to and was challenged to an Agni Kai that he _for some reason_ accepted. Azula watched, at least expecting him to fight their father but instead watched him cower on his knees and beg forgiveness. She sighed in disappointment, honestly, she wasn’t sure what she was expecting out of him, but it certainly wasn’t _that._

What she expected even less was the way his face burned. 

Uncle Iroh, coward that he was, turned his face away at the sight. Azula, though, she was strong. She watched, taking everything in. Zuzu screamed, and she clenched her jaw and her fists tight in an effort to keep herself in check. Father might be focused on her brother right now, but if he even caught a hint of her reaction being _off,_ it would be bad. 

She thought he was going to kill him. Right there in front of everyone. Azula thought, not for the first time, that she was going to be an only child.

Then Father let go of Zuko, and he fell to the ground with a painful sounding thump. On the good, unburned side of his face, thankfully. There was a second where she really thought he was dead, but when he finally wheezed a breath in through his mouth, she let out a breath of her own she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. 

Then Father proclaimed that Zuko was banished, and Azula’s heart stopped again. She looked at her brother, clearly unconscious but somehow still weeping, and thought he may as well be dead. 

“I will lift your banishment,” Father said, all but sneering down at him, “if you find the avatar and bring him to me in chains.” 

All around her, the murmuring crowd hushed as if in mourning. Soon, all of the Fire Nation would hear the terms for the banishment, and they would react just the same. Azula smirked. She knew something they all didn’t know. 

Find the avatar, Father had said. For anyone else, that was a death sentence. 

For Zuzu, though? Well, that was doable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact I lifted Azula's half of the chapter pretty much verbatim from my discord conversation with my friend lol
> 
> I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for reading <3

On the night her dum-dum big brother was banished, Azula went to dinner with her father. It was the same as she would every other night. The only proof that anything was different was Zuko's spot beside her like an open wound. It was easy enough to ignore, especially since she knew it wouldn't be open very long. 

"That was a brilliant plan you executed today, Father." She said after the food was brought out to them and they were left alone. "Burning and banishing Zuko in such a severe way and then offering him the hope of returning if he finds the avatar like that." 

"Yes." Father smirked. "It was one of my grandest moments, wasn't it." 

It clearly wasn't a question, but Azula nodded as if it was. "Yes. By the time he returns he will be so desperate for your approval he wouldn't even _dream_ of defying you again. You could control his every action like a puppet on a string with no fear of any future rebellious phases, thanks to the fear of once again incurring your wrath and more violence on his person." 

"Wait," Ozai put his chopsticks down and gave Azula his whole attention, "what do you mean when he _comes back?_ " 

Azula furrowed her brow in confusion. "Zuko. You sent him to find something." 

"Yes." He nodded. "The avatar." 

"Yes." Azula nodded again. She couldn't understand what father wasn't getting. He knew Zuko just as well as she did. He knew what it meant to send _Zuko_ off to _find something_. 

He had to. Otherwise, why would he do it? 

"Do you remember that summer on Ember Island when they performed a play that _wasn't_ Love Amongst the Dragons for once in their miserable lives?" 

"You know I don't care for theater." Father interrupted. "That was always your mother's interest, tainting the both of you with that. Especially your brother." 

"Of course, you're right." Azula replied. "Zuzu's always been too invested in drama, and that was all mother's influence. Anyway, there was one year when they performed a different play. Again, not well acted, but different. In their defense, the play hadn't been performed since before Sozin was Firelord. The only reason the Ember Island Players even _had_ a copy was because Zuko managed to find a copy of it after spending less than a _week_ trying to find it." 

Father frowned. "What are you saying, Princess Azula?" 

"Nothing I'm sure you don't already know." Because really, there was no way he _couldn't_ know what he'd done. If he'd ever paid attention to Zuko at all, he knew exactly what his banishment orders meant. Sure, it would take some time, but Zuzu could do it. 

Zuko had found that particular play, missing nearly as long as the avatar themself. It had taken a short amount of time, but he'd only had Ember Island to scour for it. This time, he had the entire world to search. Quite the difference in size. 

If Azula was doing her math right, it would take five years to find the avatar, at most. 

Zuko found him in three. 

By the time Zuko was conscious enough to really figure out what was going on, his ship was far from Fire Nation waters. His uncle spoke to him softly, as if Zuko would break if the news was delivered any louder than that. 

It was annoying to be treated so fragilely, but the awful truth was he almost did break. 

Then his uncle said he was supposed to find something, and Zuko realized things weren’t so bad after all. Father told him to find the avatar, a supposedly impossible endeavor. Obviously, father knew what he was doing when he sent him off like this, though. Father couldn’t just give him something _easy_ to find, there would be no point to that. This was important. Zuko had done something awful, and he had to redeem himself. Of course he had to find the avatar.

"Nephew," Uncle Iroh mumbled from his place at Zuko's bedside, "where would you like to begin looking?" 

Zuko sat quietly, lost in thought. Uncle Iroh handed him a cup of tea, and the steam brought Zuko back to himself. "South." 

His uncle frowned. "South?" 

Zuko nodded. He couldn't explain it, but South was the way to go. South felt right. "I want to go to the South Pole." 

"Interesting decision." Uncle Iroh said, sipping his tea. "That's quite the distance, though, Prince Zuko. Perhaps we should start somewhere a bit closer?" 

Zuko frowned. "Like where?" 

"The Western Air Temple." He suggested. "The last avatar was an airbender, it would be in your best interest to check those first for clues, don't you agree?" 

He really didn't. He really, _really_ wanted to go to the South Pole. He had to admit, though, his uncle had a point. Maybe there would be clues there, something other people searching for the avatar had missed. And … if he was being honest … it would be better if he was healed a little bit more first. His face still really hurt, he probably couldn't fight the avatar very well like this. 

So, even though he doesn't want to, he agreed. "Fine. Air Temples first. Then the South Pole." 

They traveled around, hitting every single air temple as they went. At his uncle's insistence, they hit a lot of other stops along the way. Mostly they were to places that sold exotic new teas he was interested in trying. Zuko complained and yelled about it every chance he had, because this was _his_ ship and _his_ journey they were on and they couldn't just keep taking detours whenever his uncle wanted a stupid cup of tea. 

Despite all of it, they still stopped at every single spot his uncle wanted. Who knows? Maybe there would be a trace of the avatar there or something. 

He knew it wouldn't, though. Deep in his gut he still felt a pull towards the South Pole. 

It was three years into his banishment when they _finally_ headed towards the South Pole like he wanted. During the dead of winter, no less, so the chill was even worse than expected. Zuko didn't care about that at all, though, day and night he stood or paced on the deck, watching and waiting for that _moment_. 

He was going to find the avatar, and he was going to find them _soon_. He could feel it. 

There was a light. A big light that split blindingly through the sky. The avatar! 

Zuko turned to his uncle and pointed excitedly towards the distance, where the light still glowed strong and otherworldly, like a beacon. His uncle didn’t share his excitement, but he also didn’t deride Zuko about it. His uncle was usually supportive of his searching, he just didn’t want Zuko to get his hopes up when he ultimately thought it would end badly. 

But this time was different from all the others. This time, Zuko could feel it in his bones. They were on the right track. He ignored everything his uncle said and ordered for the crew to set their course towards the light. 

It only took about a day to find the land closest to where the light had been. It was a little village, hidden behind a wall of snow and ice that his ship plowed through easily. He marched off the ship and pushed their lone warrior out of his way when he tried to strike at him. 

Zuko immediately demanded to know where the avatar was, but no one said anything. It was frustrating, he could _tell_ the avatar was here, but he didn’t know who it was or _where exactly_ they were. Finding someone he didn’t know in a place he’d never been wasn’t the same as tracking Azula through the palace. He couldn’t be certain of when he found the avatar or not! He had no idea what they looked like! 

Then he got attacked by the stupid warrior again, and he managed to get in a pretty good hit with some kind of weapon Zuko’d never seen before but would certainly never forget after this encounter. As if _that_ hadn’t been embarrassing enough, Zuko was then knocked onto his back by some kids sliding across the ice on _penguins_. He scrambled back up quickly, fire in his clenched fists and rage crackling in his chest. 

Then one of the kids stood up against him. He was small, and bald. A blue arrow tattooed on his forehead and dressed in yellow and orange fabrics that looked too thin for the biting chill of the South Pole. 

An Air Nomad. A child. It was unbelievable, but to Zuko, it was obvious who exactly this was without even a shadow of a doubt. 

This was him. The avatar. Zuko’d found him. 

It was all over now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are in canon divergence territory now!!! 
> 
> This one kinda jumped all over, honestly. I thought about just making it the blue spirit part but decided I did want to add the Azula bit because I love her and I didn't have much more to add for season one stuff. But yeah after this chapter we're going off script and doing whatever lol
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you like the chapter <3

It wasn’t over. Zuko found the avatar, sure, but then he got away, slipped right out of his fingers like an eel squid. 

But then, Zuko finds the avatar again. 

He finds him, and he finds him, and he finds him. 

Every time, the avatar escapes. 

Finding the avatar is the easy part, once he found him the first time. It’s as simple as finding, well, anything else, really. The hard part is fighting him. Capturing him. 

At first, Zuko told himself he was having a hard time capturing him because he really didn’t know _how_ to fight an airbender. He couldn’t be blamed for that, no one did anymore. All the airbenders had been dead for a century, now. 

But Zuko was a quick study. Not as quick as his sister, but quick enough. It wasn’t long before he knew exactly how to strike the avatar down. All he’d really have to do was land a blow. A swift kick to his chest, or a punch, and the kid would be out of it. He wouldn’t even need his fire for it if he tried hard enough. 

It would be simple enough. All he’d have to do was hurt the kid, and hurt his friends, and then lock him up in the ship’s galley until he made it back home. 

Simple. Easy. Doable. 

Somehow, despite how easy it would be, and how much he _burned_ to go home, every time he fought the avatar he couldn’t bring himself to do what he knew needed to be done. 

The avatar, as much as he hated to admit it, was a child. It was a fact that he couldn’t ignore. 

It was especially hard to ignore when he had to save the avatar from the clutches of Admiral Zhao. 

Zuko’d come for him dressed as the Blue Spirit and armed with his swords. As usual, the avatar wasn’t hard to find. When he found him, though, something in his stomach dropped.

The avatar was hanging from shackles that looked too tight, his arms stretched as far apart as humanly possibly. The room he was held in was huge, dark, and cold. The avatar was the only thing in the room.

He looked so small. 

The avatar looked up when Zuko entered the room, and his big grey eyes widened like… 

Like he was scared. 

Zuko shook his head to clear the thought. He didn’t have time to think about that. It didn’t matter if the avatar was a kid or that he was (definitely) scared. It wasn’t like he was going to be in this situation for very long. 

Zuko raised his swords up over his head, and the avatar closed his eyes as if resigning himself to fate. He swung the swords down. 

The chains clattered to the ground. 

The newly freed avatar looked up at him, confused. “You’re helping me escape?” 

Zuko nodded, unable to speak without immediately giving himself away. He grabbed the avatar and ran. 

But, much like a child would, the avatar got distracted. 

"My frogs!" The avatar grabbed his sleeve and tugged on it insistently. "You have to help me get them back! Please, they're for my friends." 

He had… absolutely _no idea_ what the kid was talking about. Still, he helped him locate all the escaped frogs and deposited them back in the avatar's shirt.

Not the place he would have carried frogs, personally, but it's not like he could say anything about it.

It took too long to gather up the frogs, and the avatar didn't seem to understand the concept of stealth. He was slow, and he was noisy, and he was far too trusting. The two of them were chased and attacked by the Yuyan archers, an experience that Zuko was really excited about and a little disappointed that he’d have to keep secret if he didn’t want anyone finding out about this. 

Assuming he got out alive, of course. 

Somehow, they both survived. It was a lucky break, thanks to the need to take in the avatar alive. He held his blades at the kid’s throat in an obvious threat. Zhao looked angry, but clearly didn’t want to goad Zuko into calling his own bluff. The avatar played along pretty well, too, all things considered. He only squirmed under his grip when one of the frogs in his shirt shifted around uncomfortably. For some reason, he really didn’t seem to mind having a sharp object pressed into his skin by a stranger. 

Maybe the avatar wasn’t too trusting and just had a death wish. It seemed as likely as anything. 

They snuck out of the fortress. As soon as Zuko thought they were in the clear and released the avatar, a barrage of arrows was let loose. Zuko’s back was turned. He couldn’t dodge them all. 

When Zuko woke up again to the sunrise, he was laying on a bed of leaves. His face was exposed, his head hurt from where the arrow hit him, and the avatar was still there. 

The avatar knew who he was, and he was still there. Why? 

“Do you think, if we met at a different time, we could have been friends?” 

The avatar turned to him, eyes wide and nearly pleading. He was waiting for him to reply. To say something. Zuko wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. 

The more he thought about it, the more he realized the avatar really was just some kid. 

But, as his uncle always loved to remind him, Zuko was a kid, too. 

He struck. 

His flames missed, and the avatar escaped again. This time, Zuko didn’t mind as much. His head hurt a lot, and he needed to get back to his ship to lie down and recover both physically and mentally from the night. 

The avatar was gone for now, but he would find him again. He was sure of it. 

Azula never doubted for a moment that her brother would find the avatar. By the time she turned fourteen, he’d accomplished the feat as if it was nothing. If it had taken him much longer, he would have been more of an embarrassment to the family than he already was. 

The problem that arose that no one seemed to consider, though, was that dear Zuzu was _terrible_ at capture. She’d assumed when their silly old uncle disappeared with him that he would at least help aid in the capture, but he seemed to be enjoying his little vacation too much to help her brother regain his honor and return home. 

There were rumors all throughout the nation about her brother, stories she almost found impossible to believe. The avatar was found in the South Pole, and he was an airbending child. Her brother lost a fight against the avatar because he became paralyzed by a scent tracking animal with a poisonous tongue. 

Admiral Zhao murdered the spirit of the moon, and her dum-dum brother got in the way of the Northern siege because he was busy trying to kidnap the avatar. Somehow, during that time frame, he killed Admiral Zhao. 

That last rumor spread so far and wide that Father commanded her to capture her banished brother and traitor uncle and bring them back to the Fire Nation. Azula, aware that she had no other options, agreed to do so. 

Azula wasn’t as great at finding people as her brother, but she was far better than the average person. It didn’t take her long to find him at a resort in a Fire Nation occupied part of the Earth Kingdom. It was almost off putting, seeing him again. 

No one told her about his awful hair, or about how bad the scar actually was. 

No one told her he’d gotten taller. 

The moment they laid eyes on each other, he looked just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. The surprise was quickly masked by rage, an emotion she was guessing he’d gotten more comfortable with, given the state of his face. 

It must be hard trying to show other emotions when his left eye was fixed in a glare like that. 

“What are you doing here, Azula?” He snapped at her. 

His voice was different, too. Gravelly, agitated, deep. The perfect voice for command and impassioned speeches. She wondered if he practiced the villain speeches from his favorite plays, still. His voice fit the role so much better now. 

“Now, now, Zuzu, is that any way to talk to your dear sister? We haven’t seen each other in years.” 

Zuko crossed his arms over his chest and sneered at her. Clearly he wasn’t interested in playing along. His anger was almost funny with his weird ponytail and comfy pink spa robe. 

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “We’ll put the pleasantries aside for now. Father wants you home. He regrets banishing you.” 

Zuzu, so different now but still the same kid she always knew and still just as easy to manipulate, reacted just as expected. His right eye widened, and his shoulders grew slack. The anger was gone, replaced with something between hope and disbelief. “Father… regrets?” 

Azula nodded. “He does. He feels he was too… rash, banishing you like he did.” 

“Nephew,” Uncle Iroh interrupted her sternly, drawing her brother’s attention away from her and her well crafted speech. When had he even gotten there? She hadn’t noticed uncle at all, “please be careful. I have never known my brother to regret anything.” 

She could see the uncertainty on his face, right there, in his lowered gaze and the tilt of his frown. “If he was ever going to regret something, wouldn’t this be it?” 

He was right. If their father was ever going to regret anything, burning and banishing Zuko would probably be it. The thing that both Azula and Iroh knew that Zuko didn’t seem to was that their father simply wasn’t capable of regret. He was the Fire Lord, he didn’t have to regret anything. 

Her dum-dum brother didn’t need to know that, though. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. 

“Of course.” She replied. “Like I said, he wants you back home, Zuzu. You _and_ uncle will be coming back with me on my ship.” 

Zuko nodded, fighting back the smile threatening to overtake his face. For some reason, _that_ was the thing that threw her off the most. The brother she knew before was always so _open_ emotionally to the point of annoyance. She’d never seen him actively try not to smile before. 

Azula was talking again before she even knew what she was doing. 

“Before we go home, though, there was something I wanted to do with you.” 

The smile dropped completely from his face, replaced by suspicion. He narrowed his eyes at her. “What?” 

“Your mission was to find the avatar, and you succeeded in that. Multiple times, if the rumors are true.” She said. “I want you to find him again, and when you do, I’m going to help you capture him.” 

“Why?” 

If Zuzu came back with the avatar, Father would _have_ to show mercy to the hero who brought glory to the nation by capturing the one person standing in the way of the Fire Nation’s ultimate victory. He would have to go easy on him. If he did the impossible and brought the avatar home, Zuzu would get to live. 

Azula shrugged. “Think of it as sibling bonding.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! <3 
> 
> Also just to be 100% clear right now: Zuko did _not_ kill Admiral Zhao, but the last time anyone saw him he went off to fight Zuko and was never seen again and Zuko's the only one who knows that the ocean spirit killed him. It will be brought up later on don't worry. Azula will ask about it, since it's not like they have much else to talk about.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!! Welcome to another chapter of the crack fic gone off course <3 
> 
> This one is mostly just Zuko and Azula talking (and mostly Azula being a Little Sister and riling her brother up on purpose because that's a fun game) so I'm sorry if it's boring lol
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it and thank you for reading! :D

Uncle Iroh was clearly suspicious of her. He wasn't even trying to hide it. He kept sneaking glances at her and frowning, like he was trying to figure out what game she was playing. She caught his gaze for the third time since they'd left the spa and smirked at him. There was no way he'd be able to read her, she'd always been good at concealing her plans and her motives, and had only honed the skill to a sharp point over the last three years.

Zuzu, spirits help him, had _not_ honed any of those skills. He was walking beside her, still dressed in that stupid robe from the spa and a cheap looking pair of sandals. His expression was neutral, for the most part, or maybe that was just because she was facing the side with the scar. He almost looked serious, and maybe a lesser person would fall for the act, but she saw the way his ponytail bounced with each step. 

He was excited. It didn't matter what he did to hide it, there would always be something that betrayed him.

"Why are you wearing your hair like that, anyway?" Azula asked, tilting her head. 

He shrugged. "Standard banishment hair. Kind of." 

"Kind of?" 

"Technically I was supposed to shave my head completely bald." He explained, rubbing at his scalp. "But I modified it so I still had something to stick the crown into when I got back." 

"You've been at it for three years." She replied, rolling her eyes. "If you'd just shaved it all, it would be long enough by now." 

"I didn't think finding the avatar would take this long." Zuko admitted, slinging the bag he was carrying over his other shoulder. 

Azula nodded. Honestly, she'd thought it would take longer, but she also wasn't sure how Zuzu ever found _anything_ like he did. "What's in the bag?" 

"My clothes. And my knife." He answered immediately. Then, because he wasn't any good at lying and because he knew she would look through it, anyway, he added; "My theater mask is in here, too." 

She snorted. "Theater mask? Don't tell me, is it some character from Love Amongst the Dragons?" 

He bristled instantly. "It's a good play!" 

"Sure. If you're into cliché romance stories." Azula rolled her eyes. 

"It's a classic!" 

"Just because it's a classic doesn't make it _good_." She argued. "But I suppose you're allowed to like whatever you want, even if it's bad." 

"Thank you for _allowing me to like things,_ Azula." Zuko grumbled back at her. 

She had to stifle her own laugh. Even after all their time apart, talking to him was the same as always. He was so easy to rile up, especially over something as dumb as a _play._

Not far behind them, Uncle Iroh frowned at her. She glared right back at him and turned her attention back to her brother. 

"Speaking of clothes, shouldn't you change? You look ridiculous right now. Where's your armor?" 

"It sank to the bottom of the ocean after Zhao blew up my ship." Zuko replied, kicking a twig angrily out of his path. "Along with _all my other stuff._ " 

"Wow." She didn't know what to make of that. "No wonder you killed him." 

Azula was thrown even more off when Zuko stopped walking altogether. She took a few steps, figuring he would just catch up with her and they could resume talking. Once it was clear that wasn't happening, she sighed to herself and turned on her heel to face him. 

He was paused in the middle of the path, his eyes wide and unblinking to the ground. 

"I didn't… Azula, I would _never_ … I…"

Uncle clapped a hand onto Zuzu's shoulder and squeezed it. "Nephew, it's okay. There was nothing you could do." 

He took a deep breath and looked down at his hand, opening and closing the fist like that meant something. "I tried to save him. I told him to take my hand, but he… he wouldn't. He'd rather die than owe me that." 

He looked from his hand and then over to her, as if trying to read her face for a reaction. He knew better than anyone how good she was at keeping her expression clear. 

"Does everyone… do they think I killed him?" 

Azula nodded. There was no point lying, in this case. That was the reason she was even here in the first place. He'd find out soon enough. 

If it came out that he _didn't_ kill Zhao, and she brought him back with the avatar, would that be the end of it? She would bring him home and his banishment would be over? 

"I believe you. I was _told_ you killed him, but knowing how much of a dum-dum softie you are, obviously I knew there had to be _some_ mistake." She sighed. "Unfortunately, it might be harder to convince the rest of the Fire Nation. So, if you didn't do it, how did he die?" 

"The ocean spirit took him." 

"What, like he drowned? Oddly poetic way to put it, Zuzu." 

"No." He shook his head and started walking again, catching up with her easily. Just like that, their steps were back in sync. "The avatar joined up with the ocean spirit and grabbed him off the bridge we were fighting on." 

"What." 

He tilted his head at her. "What do you know about the siege, Azula?" 

Azula shrugged. "I know what everyone in the nation knows. I'm not opposed to hearing a first hand account, though." 

It didn't take much prompting for him to tell her everything. If it had been anyone else, she probably wouldn't believe a word of it. Knowing Zuzu and his inability to lie well, she had no choice but to believe in every crazy word he said.

Having Azula around was weird. It was equally aggravating and a relief to see her again. She was familiar, and it took no time at all for them to fall back into their old ways.

Mostly that was just Azula riling him up, but in a way it was still kind of nice.

“Prince Zuko,” Uncle interrupted his story about what happened during the siege of the North when he’d just gotten to a good part, “I’m sorry to interrupt you, but where exactly are we going?” 

“We’re going to the avatar.” Azula replied for him, rolling her eyes condescendingly. 

“Actually, we’re heading to a town first.” Zuko replied, shooting Azula a glare for answering first when she wasn’t even _asked._ “Azula's right, we all look stupid.” 

“How _dare_ you say I look stupid,” Azula sneered, turning on him and flicking a bit of hair dramatically, “this is both the height of military armor and highest fashion. I look impeccable, untouchable, _perfect._ You could never even _dream_ of looking this good if your life depended on it.” 

“I wasn’t _saying_ you don’t look good.” Zuko said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was _saying_ that we all stand out too much. You don’t think a girl in Fire Nation armor and two men still wearing robes from a day spa isn’t going to attract unwanted attention?” 

“Of course it will!” Azula snapped. “But what does that matter? There’s two master firebenders here, you think we can’t take care of anyone who questions us?” 

“If we take care of anyone who questions us, we’ll just have more people questioning us!” Zuko argued, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. “Why not just attack the whole town at that point?” 

“Why _not_ just attack the whole town at that point?” She countered. 

“Why would we do that? What did the people in the town even do, Azula? Besides exist and look at our outfits? No, that’s stupid, we’re not doing that.” 

“ _You’re_ stupid.” 

Zuko felt his temper flare, there was heat in his palms, smoke in his fists. “I-”

“-If it’s going to be so difficult to get through the towns,” Uncle interrupted calmly, stepping between them both, “why don’t we simply avoid it? Nephew, you’re good at sneaking around, and your sister is a quick learner. I’m sure it would be no trouble for you.” 

He grit his teeth and glared down at the ground. His nails bit into his skin until his hands fully cooled. “I want new shoes.” 

Zuko managed to startle a laugh out of Azula. “What?” 

“Shoes.” He repeated, a little embarrassed as he kicked at the dirt with his sandal. “These aren’t great for fighting in, or chasing the avatar. I need _real_ boots. Something sturdy that actually provides coverage for my feet.” 

“Okay.” Azula said. When Zuko looked up, she was nodding and there was the slightest smirk on her face. “We’ll make a quick stop for shoes and clothing. I assume neither of you has any money on you.” 

Zuko opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it again. He really wasn’t sure. He turned to Uncle, who looked sheepishly back at Azula. 

“I may have spent it all at the spa.” 

“Uncle!” 

“Comfort always comes at a cost.” He said. “Absolute luxury, even more so.” 

“As I suspected.” She tsked, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m the only one here with any finances. Since that’s the case, _I_ have full control of the coin purse and I’m obviously not going to relinquish it to anyone who spends all of their money on hot mud baths and foot rubs.” 

Azula’s smirk widened into an outright devious grin, teeth and all. 

“Since _I’m_ the one in charge,” she said, “ _I_ get to pick the clothes.” 

“I had a bad feeling about this from the moment you said it,” Zuko grumbled, readjusting the sleeves of his new tunic for what felt like the thousandth time, “and I was right. I look stupid.” 

“You always look stupid.” Azula replied, rolling her eyes. There was still the littlest amused grin on her face. “You’re being such a baby about this. You should be happy! Now you actually look almost presentable.” 

Azula was standing beside a tree, her back completely straight instead of leaning against the bark. She was dressed in shades of cream and dark forest green, a pale yellow sash wrapped around her waist keeping the outer robe cinched tight. It was without a doubt the exact same outfit he’d just put on, right down to the shoes. 

“Why would you buy us the same outfit?” He asked, glaring at her. 

She shrugged, swinging the loose braid she’d tied her hair into over her shoulder. “You have no sense of style, so I thought you might want to borrow mine for a bit.” 

He frowned at her, his hands on his hips. “We look ridiculous.” 

“No,” she argued, “ _you_ look ridiculous. It’s the hair, we need to fix it. Or hide it, at least, since you’re so unwilling to part with it for some reason.” 

From behind her back, she pulled a hat. Before he could even open his mouth to argue about it, she hit him in the stomach and had him doubled over more from the shock of the strike than pain. Azula wasted no time pulling his hair into a bun and shoving the hat on his head, tying the straps tight under his chin. 

“There.” She pushed him back up and away with her palm like it was nothing. “Now you just look bald, a marked improvement to _that_ disaster.” 

He frowned at her and readjusted the straps so it wasn’t as tight. The last thing he wanted was to be strangled because of a stupid hat. “Are we done?” 

Azula glanced over to Uncle Iroh, who had changed clothes without much fuss and was clearly waiting on the two of them to finish bickering as he sipped a cup of tea. Zuko wasn’t sure where he’d even managed to _get_ that. 

“There’s a nice little tea shop in town.” He explained when he saw Zuko looking. “The owner was very kind.” 

Azula sighed at him and nodded to her brother. “I think we’re done here. Now, which way’s the avatar?” 

Zuko thought about it, concentrating for all of ten seconds before he felt compelled in any direction. He pointed east. “This way.” 

“You’re getting a little rusty.” She smirked, bumping his shoulder and walking ahead of him in the direction he’d pointed. “Let’s go! The avatar awaits.” 

Zuko nodded and followed after her. He closed the gap between them easily and fell into step at her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this chapter!! I hope you liked it <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everybody!!! It's been a hot minute since I updated this fic lol but anyway yay new chapter! 
> 
> Me: *slaps the hood of the chapter* this fic can fit _so much_ artistic liberties in it.
> 
> (In other words, welcome to Omashu I have NO IDEA how stuff would have changed if Azula wasn't already there when the gaang got there at first so we're gonna go ahead and pretend that this is pre-Fire Nation takeover)
> 
> Anyway thank you for reading!! I hope you like this chapter <3

Uncle Iroh was the first to realize exactly where they were headed. 

"Nephew," he grasped Zuko's arm by the shoulder and pulled him away from Azula so they could talk more privately, "how exactly are you planning on infiltrating Omashu?" 

"Omashu?" Zuko's brow furrowed. "Is that where we're going?" 

The look he got from Uncle at that was nothing short of incredulous. He blinked wide eyed back at Zuko, seemingly unable to respond. Then he let out a short breath and shook his head. 

"Yes, it appears so." He finally replied. "I assume the young avatar may be headed there in search of an earth bending master." 

Zuko nodded. That made sense. Behind him, he heard Azula slowly inching closer to listen in on their conversation. Zuko didn’t care enough to call her out on it. This affected her, too, she’d find out what they were talking about sooner or later. 

"So," Uncle continued, "how are you thinking we get in?" 

Zuko looked down and tugged on the robe of his very Earth Kingdom outfit. "You don't think we can just... walk in?" 

Behind him, Azula snorted a laugh. Zuko gritted his teeth, he was sure it would work.

Uncle frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. "Into one of the last strongholds of the Earth Kingdom?" 

"Zuzu has a point." Azula interrupted. "We do look pretty Earth Kingdom like this. What reason would they have not to let in two teen refugees and their aging grandfather?" 

"He's our _uncle_ , Azula." 

She shrugged. "Semantics. He looks old, it doesn't matter. The point is, no one should be questioning us. Now please, can we go? This little tactical meeting is sad and it's starting to bore me. Let's go." 

Zuko nodded and followed after her. He knew he couldn't trust Azula about a lot of things, but in this case her judgement was best. Zuko knew what her strengths were, and she knew his. 

Azula easily let him pass her and lead the way towards the avatar. Towards Omashu. 

There were guards in front of the entrance to the city. Only two, though. 

“I can tell what you’re thinking, niece.” Uncle grumbled to her. “And I must request you _not_ set those men on fire.” 

“You’re no fun.” 

“What if we-” 

“No, I don’t believe scaling the wall will work, either.” He interrupted before Zuzu had the chance to finish the thought. 

“We didn’t even _try_.” He pouted. 

“I think we might just have to try your original approach, prince Zuko.” Uncle nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. 

He furrowed his brow. “But the guards?” 

“The guards can be easily persuaded.” Azula smirked, shouldering past her brother. “Watch and learn, dummy.” 

She walked up to the guards, hands clasped in front of her politely and her naturally charismatic presence smothered to the appropriate level of a demure peasant. Uncle Iroh shuffled behind her, playing along easily. Zuko still didn’t seem to get what they were trying to accomplish with their little charade, stomping along and kicking up clouds of dust in his wake.

“Guards.” Azula bowed. “Is there any way you would let me and my family pass?” 

“State your names and business.” The guard on the left replied, unmoving from his position. 

“I-” 

“We are but humble refugees in search of a new home.” Uncle interrupted, bowing deeply. “As one of the Earth Kingdom’s strongest and most powerful defenses, my family and I would feel safest housed behind your lovely city’s walls.” 

The guards exchanged glances, clearly affected by Uncle’s surprisingly persuasive performance. 

“This is just like what happened with the Pippinpaddleopsicopolises all over again.” The one on the left sighed, running a hand over his face. “We still need your names.” 

“Thank you.” Uncle Iroh bowed once more. “My name is Lee, and we are grateful to you for letting us into your fine city.” 

“I’m Suzu.” Azula nodded and bowed in the same manner as he did. He seemed to have this whole lowly peasant thing down. 

Zuzu was silent next to her, his attention clearly elsewhere. She elbowed him in the arm to get him back on task. He snapped to attention, standing up straighter and shooting a glare her way. Azula rolled her eyes and nodded to the guards, still waiting on a name for him. 

“I’m… um… Lee.” He said, then grimaced. 

“Your name is _also_ Lee?” 

He gritted his teeth, annoyed by the hole he’d dug himself into. “Yes.” 

The guard turned back to Uncle Iroh. “You said this is your family? Your children?” 

Uncle beamed and wrapped an arm around Zuko’s shoulders. “Yes. They mean the world to me.” 

Supposedly, there’s a grain of truth in every deception. That grain of truth in this case was clearly lying with their uncle’s saccharine fondness over her brother. It made her want to roll her eyes and gag. Zuko looked about ready to do the same, still glaring pointedly at the guards and trying (failing) to hide how red his face got from the attention by pulling the brim of his hat further down. 

Seriously. Three years apart and he was still like this. Did people ever change? 

The guards separated and bowed. “We hope you and your family enjoy the city. Welcome to Omashu.” 

Uncle headed in first, bowing once more to the guards and smiling as he shuffled his way inside. Azula stepped aside and motioned for her brother to go first. 

“Go on, Lee,” she smirked, “lead the way. You know where we’re going better than I do.” 

He gave her a suspicious look, but went on ahead anyway. 

“You may want to speed it up a little,” she suggested, “this city is so big, you wouldn’t want to lose track of our dear old _dad_ , would you?” 

“Shut up, A- Suzu.” 

His hands formed tight fists at his sides, but he did pick up the pace to catch up with Uncle. The old man had decided to really stick to his act as a doddering old fool and was already wandering off somewhere. 

“This place kind of reminds me of Caldera.” Azula said as she looked around. It was indeed a city of impressive size and magnitude. The stone buildings were sturdy and gave the impression that they could reach the clouds themselves with their height. “A pale imitation of it, of course, but the similarity is there.” 

“Is it?” Her brother asked, looking around but not really taking in anything. “I hardly remember anymore.” 

“Don’t be so dramatic.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s been three _years_ , not three _decades_. Of course you remember what home is like. And you’ll be there again soon enough. Do you know where the avatar is yet?” 

He frowned and looked around, slowly turning in place until he stopped. He pointed upwards. "He's… there, I think?" 

Azula looked up, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. She almost regretted giving Zuzu the hat. "The palace?" 

He nodded. 

"That's quite a distance." Uncle said, stroking his beard. "It may take awhile before we make it all the way up there. Perhaps we can stop for tea or a bite to eat along the way?" 

"We don't have time for that!" Her brother snapped. "You can stop for tea, but we have more important things to do. Right, Azula?" 

Azula nodded and turned to her uncle, smirking. "Of course. You go drink your tea, maybe sit down and play a game of pai sho. You can leave this to us." 

Uncle frowned. "Are you sure?" 

She bumped Zuko with her elbow, and he nodded resolutely in agreement. "We'll be fine on our own." 

Separating Zuko and Uncle Iroh was much easier than she expected. Zuko strode with purpose up the slanting roads, and Azula followed close at his heels all the way up to the height of Omashu and the palace atop it. 

"So," Azula looked up at the tall stone structure, shielding her eyes from Agni's brilliance with the back of her hand, "the avatar is in there?" 

He nodded, glaring at the smooth walls between them and what they came for. "Yes." 

"What's your plan?" 

"It has two parts." He said, holding up two fingers. With the other hand, he brushed his fingers along the palace's smooth surface. "We find a way in. Then we capture the avatar." 

"That's not a plan, dum-dum," Azula sighed, not shocked in the slightest, "that's barely even a to-do list." 

Her brother scowled back at her, and she had to stifle back a laugh at how ridiculous the expression looked on his face. "Well what's _your_ brilliant idea, since you're so smart?" 

She smirked. "Step aside. I'm burning this place down." 

His eyes widened in shock, but he was easily pushed away from the wall. "Azula, it's stone. Not even you can burn stone. That's not possible." 

She rolled her eyes and pressed her heated palms against the wall. "I'm a prodigy, stupid, impossible's not in my vocabulary." 

As much as she'd boasted, even she couldn't set a rock on fire. What she could do was melt stone just enough to make it malleable. Just one of the perks of having the hottest fire in the world.

Azula pressed on and on into the wall, letting her determination and her fathomless pit of rage grow and exit out of her hands until she felt her palms nearly sink into the white hot rock. She moved the molten rock around, thinning out the segment of the wall until it was large enough for both of them to be able to sneak through when broken. She removed her hands quickly, noting the way her palms smoldered. 

Zuzu was observing over her shoulder, frowning at the wall and then at her. "How did you do that?" 

"As if I would reveal my secrets to you." She scoffed. "You should be able to break it easily now." 

"So we're just… breaking through the wall?" 

"Yes. Was that not clear?" 

"Won't that make a lot of noise? They'll know we're coming, then." 

"They'll also know we're coming if we just stand outside and yell." Azula rolled her eyes. "Since when were _you_ so concerned with stealth?"

"Half my plans are stealth." 

"Half your plans aren't _plans_ , we've been over this. Now break this wall down before I lose all respect for you." 

"Fine." He sighed, taking a few steps backwards. "Move." 

Azula moved aside. Zuzu charged at the wall and twisted almost gracefully into a flying kick that broke through the stone like it was rice paper. 

"I see I've outdone myself yet again." She observed, nodding in approval as Zuko continued kicking at the wall and widening the hole he'd made. "This is the most brittle I've ever made stone." 

"Don't pat yourself on the back over this." Zuko mumbled as he climbed through, careful of the jagged edges he'd left. "I have really strong legs." 

"Strong enough to break through solid stone?" Azula scoffed, rolling her eyes as she followed him through the hole. 

"Probably." He replied, hands formed into fists on his hips. "I broke a metal chain with my foot once." 

"Did you?" 

He bristled. "I _did._ " 

"I guess I'll just have to believe you," she shrugged exaggeratedly, "since there's no metal here for you to flawlessly break with nothing but your leg." 

"I can do it, and I can prove it!" Zuko scowled. Azula gave herself a pat on the back, he was still easier to play than a guqin. 

He stomped a couple feet away from the hole he'd made, to a spot still solid stone. He nudged the spot gently with this boot and turned to her as if waiting for her confirmation. She nodded and gestured for him to get on with it. Even if he broke his foot doing this dumb stunt, it wouldn't matter. All he had to do was point her to the avatar, and she would take care of the rest. That was why she was here. 

Zuzu glared at her, then turned his attention back to the wall. Then, in one smooth, quick motion, he kicked at it. 

It _cracked_. 

His leg didn't go all the way through like it had on the part she'd melted, but it cracked. That shouldn't have been possible. Just how strong was he? 

Azula strolled over and inspected the crack. It was surprisingly deep. One or two more strikes and he might have made it all the way through to the other side. She looked up at her brother, trying to scrutinize him as she added "freakishly strong" to her Zuzu mental list. 

"Are you sure you're human?" 

He'd been prepared for her to say something, but clearly not that based on the way he startled. He frowned, but it was less of a scowl and more of a confused down turn of his mouth and his good eye was wide. "A-" 

"...what are you doing?" 

The _one moment_ she was distracted and someone snuck up on her. That's the last time she's ever showing interest in another person. They both spun around to face their opponent, ready to attack.

It wasn't just one opponent. It was several. A whole little group of four. Between the two of them, it should be easy enough to take them down. She surveyed their enemy with a practiced eye. 

" _Zuko!_ " One of them, a teen boy in Water Tribe blue, pointed an accusatory finger at her brother. "How did _you_ get here? And… are you guys wearing the same outfit?" 

Beside her, Zuko snarled. There was already smoke billowing out of his clenched fists. Azula smirked. 

Beside the boy was a girl, in the same blue and in what she could only assume was a bending stance. She'd never seen waterbending in action before. Flanking the two of them was an ancient looking, wrinkled old man hunched forward in extravagantly green robes and his head bowed under the weight of a headpiece. He must be the mad king of Omashu, Bumi, 

So that just left…

"Zuzu," she gestured to the little bald child at the front of the group, his blue arrow tattoos fully on display. There was no mistaking who he was, she just couldn't _believe_ it, "that's the avatar?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: a guqin is a seven string musical instrument originating in ancient China. I only know one instrument in avatar and I just can't imagine Azula playing a tsungi horn so there ya go. 
> 
> Next chapter I'm hoping to get some action in here! So look forward to that ;) 
> 
> Thank you again for reading! <3 <3
> 
> Hey everybody I have something exciting (for me) to announce!!   
> This fic just got 200 subscriptions, like the most I've ever gotten on anything, and to celebrate I'm thinking I might do a oneshot or something, just for funsies lol. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas you can hit me up on [tumblr](https://destyni-is-me.tumblr.com/rel=) and let me know in an ask or whatever! Thank you!!! :D

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!!! I hope you liked it! :D
> 
> I don't really have a plan on when I'm updating next but I think this one's gonna be even more sporadic than the other ones I'm working on, especially since this one is less serious and will be shorter. Please be patient with me <3 
> 
> If you ever wanted to talk to me about this fic (or anything, really) here's a link to my [tumblr](https://destyni-is-me.tumblr.com/rel=)
> 
> Again, thanks for reading!


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